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THE LEVANT NEWS — BEIRUT –Free Patriotic Movement and Future Movement lawmakers will attend Thursday’s legislative session after an apparent deal had been reached between them regarding a contentious nationality draft law on the agenda.

FPM’s participation was announced by the head of the party’s Change and Reform Bloc Michel Aoun in a short news conference from Rabieh.

The announcement was made shortly after FPM MP Ibrahim Kanaan said a deal had been reached between Lebanon’s main Christian parties over participation in Thursday’s legislative session.

Speaking at a news conference from Parliament, Kanaan said different sides have made a decision over amendments proposed by Future Movement MP Samir Jisr to the nationality bill, which would give the right to people of Lebanese origins who live outside the country to obtain Lebanese nationality.

However it was unclear if the agreement had been made only among the Christian parties, or between the Christian parties and the Future Movement, as Kanaan spoke in vague terms.

“Lebanon’s most important assets are its expatriates, so they have the right to obtain the citizenship… This is a victory for Lebanon and all Lebanese around the world,” Kanaan said in the news conference before meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri regarding the details of the agreement.

LF MP George Adwan is expected to announce his party’s stance on the issue later in the day.

Kanaan’s remarks came shortly after Future chief Saad Hariri announced his party’s MPs would be attending Thursday’s legislative session, but will refrain from attending any other following session not set to discuss the new electoral law.

In a statement released by his media office, Hariri said his party will attend the session to pass urgent financial draft laws, however conditioned that the party’s continued attendance relies on Parliament discussing a new electoral law.

He added that the Future Movement will also attend the session as the citizenship law is on Parliament’s agenda.

The Future Movement has indicated it would vote against that law, which is being championed by Christian parties, but Wednesday’s remarks by the different sides suggest they are working in unison.

Hariri urged all parties to attend the sessions “to preserve the nature of participation between all the country’s factions